JAKARTA - The Niger junta on Monday awaits a response from the West African regional bloc after coup leaders ignored a deadline to return the ousted president, a move the bloc warned could lead to military intervention.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said it would issue a statement on the next move, responding to the junta's refusal to step down on Sunday, as foreign powers said they expected a peaceful resolution.
On Sunday, when the deadline ended, the junta closed its airspace until further notice, saying there had been deployment of troops to prepare for intervention.
"Niger armed forces and all of our defense and security forces, supported by the unbroken support of our people, are ready to defend the integrity of our territory," a junta representative said in a statement on national television.
Escalation of the deadlock with ECOWAS will further shake one of the world's poorest regions, which is in the grip of a hunger crisis and fighting a religious insurgency that has killed thousands of people and forced millions of people to flee.
Meanwhile, ECOWAS' defense chief approved a possible military action plan if detained president Mohamed Bazoum was not released and restored, although they said an operational decision when and where the attacks would be carried out would be decided by the heads of state.
It is known, ECOWAS has taken a tough stance on the seizure of power on July 26, the seventh coup in the region in three years. Given its wealth of uranium and oil as well as its very important role in the war with Islamic militants, Niger has economic and strategic interests for the United States, Europe, China and Russia.
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Meanwhile, the junta in power in neighboring countries, Mali and Burkina Faso, will defend Niger if needed. The two countries sent delegates to Niamey to show solidarity, Mali soldiers said on social media on Monday.
African and Western allies have imposed sanctions and cut aid to Niger, to pressure the junta to step down.
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